Struck with
admiration and not a little envy, she stopped at the base. The slope of the
hill
opened the lower
level to the rear of the house through wide glass doors and windows, and a
small and pretty
slate patio beyond, where the dog currently sprawled on his back, feet straight
up, sleeping.
But inside, on safety
mats over the wide-planked oak floor, stood the machines. In silence, she
wandered, studying
the elliptical trainer, the weight bench, the rack of weights, the recumbent
bike, rowing machine.
Serious stuff, she
mused.
An enormous
flat-panel TV covered one wall. She noted the components tucked into a builtin,
and the glass-front
bar fridge holding bottles of water. And in the corner where the wood
merged with slate
rested a whirlpool tub in glossy black.
"Matt's
work?"
"Yeah.
Mostly."
"I'm
more and more pleased with my instinct to hire him. You never have
to leave here."
"That
was sort of the idea. I like to hole up for long stretches. It was designed as
a family
room, but since my
family doesn't live here, I figured why
haul myself to a gym when I can
bring the gym to me?
And, hey, no membership fee. Of course, it cuts out being able to ogle
toned and sweaty
female bodies, but you've got to make some
sacrifices."
"I
have a basement," Cilla mused. "An actual underground basement, but it's big. I
gave some
thought to finishing
it off eventually, but more for storage and utility. But with the right
lighting..."
Tribute
___________________
Start the new year off on the right foot with expert tips on
designing a home fitness space you’ll stick with
Year after year, getting more exercise tops New Year’s
resolution lists. And while the number of people committed to this popular goal
often plummets by February, experts say having a dedicated space right at home
that will inspire you to stay active can help.
___________________
He stopped in the doorway. He’d seen their setup
at their beach house in the Hamptons, but that was
small change compared to this.
Two treadmills, an elliptical, a recumbent bike,
Bowflex, free weights, a bench press—not to
mention the huge flat-screen and the glass-fronted
fridge holding bottles of water and juice.Towels, he
noted, neatly folded, alcohol wipes, killer view.
“Convenient,” he said, “and efficient.”
Happy Ever After
